Luthra to handle J&K terror funding case
NEWDELHI: The Union home ministry has appointed Sidharth Luthra, who served as the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) during the UPA regime, to serve as the special public prosecutor in the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.
The senior advocate will appear for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in case bail applications or writ petitions relating to the case are moved in the Supreme Court.
Luthra has already represented the agency when a special Delhi court took up the terror funding case.
The NIA had arrested multiple separatist leaders as well as businessmen for allegedly fueling last year’s unrest in the Valley by providing the protesters with funds that came from Pakistan.
Although ministry and NIA sources confirmed Luthra’s appointment, the 51-year-old told HT that he had not received any intimation.
Chosen as the ASG during the Manmohan Singh government, Luthra in the past served as the special public prosecutor in the Nirbhaya gang rape case.
He has also represented Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in the criminal defamation lawsuit filed by him against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
NGO SEEKS SEDITION CASE AGAINST FAROOQ
In Jammu, the Bharat Raksha Manch, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) headed by Hunar Gupta, on Tuesday staged a protest against former chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah for his pro-pakistan statement.
Known for changing his tone and tenor when out of power, Farooq Abdullah recently had stated that the POK belongs to Pakistan, in a striking contrast to a unanimous resolution passed by the Indian Parliament in 1994, wherein it was decided to retrieve occupied Kashmir from Pakistan. The NGO activists demanded slapping of sedition case against Abdullah for his “secessionist statements”.
On October 26, during BJP’S Accession Day celebrations here, Union minister Jitendra Singh had made it clear that “there is no Kashmir issue except taking back Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK)”.
Addressing a gathering on Tuesday, Gupta said, “Farooq Abdullah, whose three generations have enjoyed chief ministership of the state, is playing to the galleries for few votes. “
He said making such controversial statements on POK is not only criminal but also amounts to breach of privilege of the Parliament by an elected member of the Lok Sabha. “If Farooq Abdullah does not agree with the unanimously adopted resolution of Indian Parliament then he should quit from Lok Sabha and join separatist's camp,” Gupta added.